§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent developments have been made in submarine air independent propulsion; what the implications of this are for diesel submarines; and if he will make a statement on the future of diesel submarines in the Royal Navy. [72537]
§ Dr. MoonieWe are monitoring the developments in submarine air independent propulsion technologies. Our Maritime Underwater Future Capability programme is looking into the range of future capabilities required by the United Kingdom for the control and denial of the underwater battlespace into the third and fourth decades of the century. We will be considering a wide range of concepts, including innovative solutions combining unmanned underwater vehicles, ships, airborne and land assets, as well as submarines. Our studies will assess the alternative future power source technologies for submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles, but it is too early to make any decisions.